bitter
/ˈbɪtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbi-tər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbɪt.ər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɪt̬.ɚ/ (ame, ipa)
bitter — adjective
1. having a strong, sharp flavour that is not sweet, like the taste of black coffee
having a strong, sharp flavour that is not sweet, like the taste of black coffee or dark chocolate without sugar.
Noa took one sip of the black coffee and made a face at how bitter it tasted.
predicative: taste + bitter
Noa warned the children that raw kale leaves taste quite bitter without any dressing.
subject is a food item
The medicine left a bitter taste in Tomás's mouth for nearly an hour.
Camille added two spoons of sugar to soften the bitter flavour of the tea.
Grandpa Tan loves bitter foods like grapefruit, green olives, and unsweetened dark chocolate.
用法筆記
Common subjects are foods, drinks, and medicines. Often paired with the nouns 'taste', 'flavour', or 'aftertaste'.
常見錯誤
2. feeling angry and hurt for a long time because you believe you have been treated
feeling angry and hurt for a long time because you believe you have been treated badly and cannot let it go.
Ten years after the divorce, Rohan is still bitter about losing the house.
bitter about + noun phrase
Tomás grew bitter when his younger sister was promoted ahead of him.
become/grow + bitter
Camille warned his daughter not to let one failed audition make her bitter about acting.
Aunt Rosa sounded bitter as she described how her old friends had forgotten her.
- resentful
very close in meaning; slightly more formal
- embittered
stronger; suggests the feeling has built up over years
文法句型
bitter about something
bitter at someone
用法筆記
Subject is normally a person. Distinguish from sense 3 (RESENTFUL, the inner feeling) versus sense 4 (HOSTILE, words/actions that show that feeling).
常見錯誤
3. describing an event, fact, or experience that brings deep sadness or pain and is
describing an event, fact, or experience that brings deep sadness or pain and is hard to accept.
Losing the championship in the final minute was a bitter blow for the whole team.
collocation: bitter blow
The closing of the family bakery was a bitter disappointment for Camille and his mother.
collocation: bitter disappointment
Noa learned a bitter lesson the day her best friend lied to her in court.
The truth about Tomás's father came as a bitter shock to the whole family.
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively before nouns such as 'blow', 'disappointment', 'lesson', 'shock', 'truth', or 'experience'. Rarely predicative.
常見錯誤
4. showing strong hatred or anger through words, fights, or arguments between peopl
showing strong hatred or anger through words, fights, or arguments between people or groups.
The two political parties have been bitter enemies for over thirty years.
collocation: bitter enemies
A bitter argument broke out between Rohan and his brother at the dinner table.
collocation: bitter argument
The Lior family lawsuit ended after a long and bitter court battle that lasted four years.
The neighbours on Oak Street called the fence dispute the most bitter quarrel they had ever seen.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: sense 4 modifies the visible conflict (an 'argument', 'rivalry', 'feud'); sense 2 modifies the person carrying the inner hurt.
常見錯誤
5. describing weather or wind that is so cold it actually hurts your face, hands, o
describing weather or wind that is so cold it actually hurts your face, hands, or ears.
A bitter wind blew off the lake and stung the children's cheeks as they walked to school.
collocation: bitter wind
Rohan pulled his scarf tighter against the bitter January air.
attributive: bitter + weather noun
It was bitter on the mountain that morning, well below minus ten.
The hikers turned back when the bitter cold made their fingers go numb.
用法筆記
Subjects are typically 'wind', 'cold', 'weather', 'winter', or the impersonal 'it'. The adverb form 'bitterly' is common with 'cold' (see adverb sense).
常見錯誤
bitter — noun
1. a dark brown English beer with a strong, slightly sharp flavour, served from a t
a dark brown English beer with a strong, slightly sharp flavour, served from a tap in pubs.
Dad ordered a pint of bitter at the village pub after the long walk.
collocation: a pint of bitter
The barman pulled two glasses of bitter for the men sitting by the window.
collocation: glass of bitter
The Red Lion in our village still serves a good local bitter on draught every evening.
Rohan prefers a cold lager, but his grandfather only drinks bitter.
文法句型
a pint of bitter
用法筆記
Mainly British English. Often uncountable when referring to the drink type, countable ('a bitter') when ordering a glass at a pub.
常見錯誤
2. a strong alcoholic liquid made from herbs and spices, added in small drops to co
a strong alcoholic liquid made from herbs and spices, added in small drops to cocktails to give a sharp flavour.
The bartender added a few drops of bitters to the old fashioned cocktail.
collocation: drops of bitters
At the hotel bar, Rohan reached for the Angostura bitters to finish the Manhattan.
attributive: brand of bitters
A small dash of orange bitters made the gin and tonic taste much better.
Tomás keeps a small bottle of herbal bitters on the top shelf for cocktail nights.
- tonic
old-fashioned use for a similar herbal drink, though tonic today usually means tonic water
文法句型
a dash of bitters
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural form 'bitters'. In bar contexts, treat it as a flavouring, not a drink on its own.
常見錯誤
bitter — verb
1. to give something a sharp, unpleasant flavour, or to fill someone with lasting a
to give something a sharp, unpleasant flavour, or to fill someone with lasting anger and hurt.
Adding too many hops bittered the ale and ruined the brewer's whole afternoon batch.
literal: object is a food/drink
Years of unfair treatment had bittered Aunt Rosa against the whole company.
figurative: bitter someone against
The long inheritance dispute bittered the relationship between Rohan and his younger brother forever.
Years of unfair pay reviews had bittered Camille against the entire management team.
- sweeten
for taste; also used figuratively of moods
文法句型
bitter + object
用法筆記
Rare in modern English; the form 'embitter' is far more common for the figurative sense. Only use 'bitter' as a verb in formal or literary writing.
常見錯誤
bitter — adverb
1. to a sharp, painful, or severe degree — a poetic or older form of the modern adv
to a sharp, painful, or severe degree — a poetic or older form of the modern adverb 'bitterly'.
All night the wind blew bitter across the moor and rattled the cottage shutters.
literary: blow + bitter (= bitterly)
Rohan mourned bitter the loss of his hunting dog in the empty stone house.
literary: mourn + bitter (= bitterly)
The old soldier wept bitter at the graveside for friends lost at sea.
The widow's voice rang bitter as she remembered the day her husband marched to war.
- sweetly
the figurative opposite, also somewhat literary
用法筆記
Almost only seen in poetry, hymns, and older literature. In everyday writing, replace it with the adverb 'bitterly'.